NANURA AGRICULTURE
Dona Nalaka Daundaratne | Anura Perera | M.K. Jemegwa
Education for a Healthier and Sustainable
Agriculture Development
Women Entrepreneur Initiative
by Dona Nalaka Daundaratne
WEI Project | Dona Nalaka Daundaratne. BSc, MAg
Certainly, women had been the backbone of almost every aspect of life although they had been unrecognized for ages of their capabilities and power to build and change world. However, today, in most of the developed societies, doors are being open to women in the field of agriculture. Truly, women have fought for a long time to break these primitive social barriers, stigmas, stereotype, and discrimination and have taken their rightful place in farming industry. Now, they contribute as owners, leaders, primary decision makers and field workers with equally or even better than the opposite sex. This is a very good trend, but a long way to go to break most of these social barriers and the poor mindset of that women should stay at home cooking and taking care of children while men are the best fit for most work and in this case, farming. Further, statistics have shown that women led, and managed farms are more profitable in most cases compared to traditional male dominated farming.
Now this is the story of the well studied world of the developed countries. However, in underdeveloped countries and communities in the world it is a completely different scenario. Even though, there is a large amount of women labor involved in farming industry in these settings, they are far away from becoming leaders or decision makers in agriculture due to number of social, economical, cultural, and other barriers They have non-to-insufficient support or power to a societal change. So, WEI project developed by Dona Nalaka Daundaratne and Jemegwa Malabe is not just about teaching farming methods to the community. It has 4 individual elements.
1. Identifying individual and community base barriers for women to
start and own farming business
2. Building motivation and breaking social barriers
3. Education about successful agricultural methods
4. Fundamental business skills
5. Improving life of women through education and encouraging
policy change
As you can see, Women Empowerment Initiative is not just a task of three Agriculture Educators. It involves number of professional entities as government authorities, social workers, leadership and motivation speakers, finance advisors, community leaders, local markets, etc. All these fields are brought together in the planning process mostly from within the community itself and coordinated through NANURA to achieve the mission goals to improve women’s involvement, building sustainable farming systems, ensure food security and community development. Most of all, to build strength and support for any young girl to feel free to be the leader in this industry without any or few barriers. In addition, we encourage capable people around the world to join these ventures and to organize such projects aiming to develop agriculture in these parts of the world.
News Feed
Sustainable Farming
What is ‘sustainable farming’? Since ages, the stability of life on earth, in connection to our impact over it, is determined by the quality of maintained balance between us and nature, and the corresponding environmental responses. Basically, our deeds decide the fate of our lives, state at present, safety of future, and consequential health of Mother-nature and vice-versa. In relation, sustainable agriculture is following sound and eco-friendly farming practices as a continuum in a productive and a beneficial manner for self, communities, and health of ecosystems. Importantly, resulting outcomes should not incur harm or negatively impact on both current and future generations regarding wellbeing, continuity, and safety of life. By Dona Nalaka Daundaratne
Cattle Farming Fundamentals
With proper knowledge, planning, and healthy practices, raising cattle alone or preferably with variety of animals can be highly productive, profitable, and beneficial in numerous ways. For example, they provide milk, beef, butter, cheese, leather, fertilizers, helps to plow to prepare ground for cultivation
Communication Barriers
WEI Project | Dona Nalaka Daundaratne. BSc, MAg
These are always specific to a particular person or a community where the once who take the services from the project. Commonly, need of improving the misperception around women not fit for the job by others and by self. So, this is a very complex and a delicate aspect which is influenced by culture, religion, communal values, lack of education and many other. Dona Nalaka Daundaratne and NANURA team approach these counterparts via educational campaigns and motivational sessions to build self-confidence and develop self-esteem as well identify as women with competence. Our focus is not to build a feminist rebellion, only to encourage more women involvement in leading and managing farming which is beneficial for oppressed female community as well as for the whole world due to possible higher economical profits.
Motivation Building
WEI Project | Dona Nalaka Daundaratne. BSc, MAg
This is a key part of the project. As we all aware, humans have an inbuilt varying level of resistance to change. Surely, one or two workshops about benefits of sustainable agriculture won’t be enough to breakthrough that resistance. Especially, in communities where lack of education is common and with generational long stereotype around women’s role. In most cases, the women them selves strongly believe that they are incapable of being independent as the world systems have embedded that idea almost from the date of birth. So, motivational techniques, leadership work shops and self-esteem development are crucial part in such situations. Remember, these projects are formed according to the specific needs and available resources in the region. However, so far, our friends from universities and other places had been generous enough to voluntarily work in these projects. Once again, we welcome you to organize these projects in and out of your jurisdictions where NANURA is willing to provide guidance and all possible assistances for the success of the projects.